


Tears

by Rin_Salamander



Series: I love mountain man Muriel (Drabbles) [9]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Other, Uh oh uh oh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-30 23:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17233355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rin_Salamander/pseuds/Rin_Salamander
Summary: I was gonna call this loss but I was scared of the loss memes-





	Tears

At dawn, tragedy struck. When Muriel awoke to tend to his hens, one that hadn’t been doing so well had finally succumbed. You woke up to him coming back in and finding a fur to wrap the body in. When you asked what happened, he gave a pained look, and told you in the simplest of ways, that one of the hens passed.

 

It was sad. You had grown to like all the hens as well- they’d all eat from your hand, and even allow you to pet them. Losing one was hard. But what was harder, was seeing Muriel grieve over one of his friends. You followed him out to see him wrapping up the body, and holding it close to his chest. He looked so, so sad. He met your eyes briefly, but turned, walking slowly. You followed close behind, before he stopped at a small clearing near his hut. He kneeled, putting the bundled up body aside- though he kept it close- and began digging, with his bare hands. You watched for a moment, before mirroring him, beginning to help. Muriel gave you a somewhat surprised glance, then a thankful nod, before you both continued on.

 

Once the hole was deep enough, Muriel carefully laid the hen in its eternal resting place. You gently placed your hand atop of his, before giving it a gentle squeeze. Muriel met your eyes briefly, giving another silent thanks, then he sat in silence for a few moments, looking down at the body, wrapped in a fur. He gently stroked his hand against it, before finally beginning to bury the remains. Once again, you helped, gently patting the earth down once you finished. You both said your final goodbyes, and slowly made your quiet trip back to the hut.

 

You both washed the dirt off your hands in silence, before returning inside. Muriel was being even more quiet than usual, sitting on his bed. He’d began whittling a small chicken, and you watched as he worked. Inanna laid her head across your lap, as you gently stroked her fur. His expression was sad, as he carefully scraped at the wood. Once Muriel had finished the piece, he stood, placing it on his shelf with the others. You watched as he sadly walked back to the bed, sitting, and resting his elbows on his knees. He stared at the ground for a long while, seeming lost in thought. You were about to get up when you heard a shaken sigh escape his lips. You looked up at him, before slowly moving closer. Muriel wouldn’t meet your eyes, but you could see unshed tears forming. You moved to stand in front of him, and you opened your arms in silent invitation.

 

Muriel looked at you hesitantly, before gently leaning into your embrace. You held him, petting his hair softly. His eyes met yours, a look of pure sadness behind them. His hands rested on your back as he pulled you closer, leaning his head into the crook of your neck. He took in a shaky inhale, trying to calm himself, but to no avail. His shoulders shook softly as he let a very quiet sob escape him. You repositioned yourself to sit beside him, never releasing him from the embrace. You gently ran a hand up and down his broad back, trying to be of some comfort. You gently brought the other hand to Muriel’s face, wiping a single tear that ran down his cheek. 

 

He seemed to let go at that, more openly crying now. It wasn’t loud or flashy- but his breathing frequently stuttered as he tried to suck in breaths, between his slow, shaken sobs. He leaned his head against your shoulder, his hands lightly grasping into the back of your shirt.

 

You didn’t speak- you didn’t need to. Words wouldn’t fix anything. So you just sat with Muriel as he quietly wept. He eventually held one of your hands, seeking more comfort- something you weren’t expecting. You gently smoothed your thumb over his knuckles, while the other still rubbed circles into his back.

 

Eventually, Muriel looked at you with puffy eyes, and a sad expression. This time, he pulled you close, holding you against him tightly. He buried his face into your hair, taking a deep inhale. You could just barely make out a muttered thank you. He held you for a few more minutes, until he was more composed. After that, he tried to go on with his day as usual, though you noticed every few minutes he’d come close and touch you, maybe a hand on your shoulder, or he'd loosely hug you while resting his chin to the top of your head.

 

When the moon rose, you and Muriel got into bed, in what was a spooning position. His arm wrapped over your front, and you held his hand. His face was buried into the back of your neck, his breaths slow and steady. He kept you close, seeking out the comfort, and holding onto you- as if he could lose you too if he didn’t.

 

Inanna whined softly, putting her front paws on the bed. You opened your eyes, face to face with her. She seemed to want up. The bed was so small- and Inanna was large- you doubted all three of you would be able to fit. But, she made it work, crawling up and laying on Muriel’s side, curling herself up. Muriel seemed contented to have you and Inanna close by him, and he closed his eyes, giving your hands a final, brief squeeze, before you both drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna call this loss but I was scared of the loss memes-


End file.
